Compared to the beginning of the epidemic, we now have medicines that individuals with HIV can take that can reduce the burden of HIV and allows them to live full lifetimes that are not cut short. These solutions are not perfect and we are constantly in a battle to improve the efficacy of these treatments due to the volatile nature of HIV. Despite these treatments, we do not have a permanent answer to HIV as those on medication must continue to take them for the rest of their life.

It is worth noting that one of the areas hardest hit by the HIV epidemic is Sub-Saharan Africa, where 1 in 25 individuals have HIV and which does not have a medical system as developed as the western countries, like the United States. This means that those infected with HIV may not be able to access HIV treatments because of where they live or they simply cannot afford the lifetime commitment to many of the treatments.

An ideal solution in the developed and developing world for dealing with HIV is to find a permanent cure. This would reduce the cost burden on individuals and the healthcare systems that support them. It would also make it more affordable for those in poorer countries to mitigate their HIV epidemics.

What is HIV

HIV means human immunodeficiency virus. It is spread through bodily fluids and it attacks the immune system of the person it is in. HIV attacks T-cells and the overall result is a weakened immune system that cannot protect the body as efficiently as before the infection. There are three stages of HIV infection.

Stage 1 is the initial infection state, where the body attempts to combat the virus. There may or may not be symptoms, but it is also where the individual is most contagious to others. Stage 2 is the latent period, where the virus is dormant in the body. It hides within the cells but continues to work at low levels. Stage 3 of the virus is where HIV becomes AIDS, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, the most severe stage of the infection. The viral load has increased and broken down the immune system at this point, which makes the person very infectious and very weak as most people die within 3 years of this stage.

HIV also holds a deadly feature that makes it very difficult to treat and cure, a feat we have not achieved as of yet. It has a high mutation rate, like the flu virus. The surface proteins on the virus are constantly changing within each strain, creating other strains and making it very difficult for the body’s immune system to detect virus because our immune cells depend on identifying those surface proteins to target HIV. Antibodies also use those surface proteins to detect the virus to eliminate them, so this constant mutation results in current antibodies being ineffective. Fortunately, researchers hope to use a new type of antibody to combat this high mutation rate.

“Diagram of the HIV virus.” by the US National Institute of Health (redrawn by en:User:Carl Henderson) via Wikimedia Commons is licensed under CC0

They used a tri-specific antibody, made of three different bn-antibodies, to target SHIV, simian HIV, in monkeys. The result was that 99% of the SHIV were eliminated in the monkeys and did not return, even when they were reinfected with SHIV. This represents a vast improvement in potential HIV treatments as even the best naturally occurring antibodies only treat 90% of HIV. They also found that the trispecific antibody had higher potency and covered more strains than most bn-antibodies. More importantly, they found that the trispecific antibody functioned very similar to bn-antibodies in humans.

We are entering an era where antibodies are not as effective as they used to be because of acquired antibiotic resistance in disease-causing bacteria and viruses, so we are desperate for something to combat this and one avenue could be these trispecific antibodies. Besides the great boon to human health, a permanent solution to HIV and many other diseases or severe human conditions would allow for less burden on health insurance, less money being spent on research for these issues and more money spent on other areas of human health, more time for people to enjoy life, and a better world overall.

We are still years away from seeing the final results of trispecific antibody experiments, but we can be optimistic that we will learn something that can help solve our many health crises even if we do not find a cure to HIV.

About The Author

Mohendra Shiwnarain

Mohendra has a Bachelor's degree in Biology and a Masters in Biotechnology. Growing up, he enjoyed learning as much as he could from any and all topics. He has gone on many Wikipedia rabbit holes, scouring to find more interesting facts than the last. He writes to both learn and lead others into their own search of scientific knowledge, both mundane and interesting.

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